Making Homemade Seedling Mix

Feb.12,2015

Making homemade seedling mix is quite easy and can save you a ton of money. Especially if you plan on using a lot of it this year!

Late winter and early spring are the perfect time to get your seedlings planted. Over the years as I have taught and attended gardening classes the question has come up several times about making your own homemade seedling mix. I don’t claim to be an expert in this area as I usually just end up buying a good organic seedling mix from the local nursery. But the question comes up enough that I thought it would be a good idea to chase around the internet for you and find a few really good Homemade Seedling Mixes for you.

Before I give you all the recipes let’s talk ingredients. Most mixes call for 4 things, compost, peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. You will also sometimes see a recipe call for coconut coir which is very similar to peat moss. Coconut coir is a little harder to find but is generally considered a little “greener”, meaning it is harvested in a more sustainable way. I don’t have any experience using Coconut Coir so your on your own. But everything I’ve read says it retains water better and has more nutrients in it than peat moss, so if you can find it in your local stores then it is a great choice.

Compost

The compost you choose for your Homemade Seedling mix should be well rotted. Look for a compost that has broken down well and doesn’t contain large pieces of wood and other material. I also really encourage you to use an certified organic compost. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories of non-organic compost containing left over pesticides or herbicides that end up killing your seedlings before they even get started!

Peat Moss

Peat moss is usually sold in large “bricks” that are packed solid with material. A brick of peat moss can last you quite a few years. Peat moss gives your homemade seedling mix structure and water holding capacity.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is used for it’s high water holding capasity. This heated mineral looks a lot like mica and is used in small amounts in homemade seedling mixes to help the soil retain water. When you are working with vermiculite is is a good idea to wear a mask as it can be a lung irritant.

Perlite

Perlite is basically a volcanic rock or glass that has been heated and “popped”. We use it in our homemade seedling mixes to add structure to the soil and to prevent it from compacting too much.

Below you will find several homemade seed starting mixes that I have found around the internet. None of these are my recipes so in each case I have included a link to the website where I found the recipe so that you can go there if you would like more information!

12 Comments

I used to make my own soil mix ages ago. I always added lime (to counteract the acid of the peat moss) and fertilizer to the mix (so I didn’t have to keep using liquid fertilizer). I wish I could remember how much as too little or too much is just as bad, but sadly I don’t.